He froze as the tug tightened its hold on him. His breath came in short pants as he closed the distance between them. ‘I thought we weren’t going to delve into our issues today.’
‘You asked me what was on my mind.’
He nodded. ‘I guess I did.’ He stared into the pure, make-up-free perfection of her face and something very close to regret rose in his gut.
‘Now it’s my turn to ask you what’s on your mind, Theo,’ she murmured thoughtfully.
‘It’s completely pointless, of course, but I’m wishing we’d met under different circumstances.’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘You are?’
The urge to touch grew, and he finally gave in. He traced his thumb over her lips and felt them pucker slightly under his touch. ‘As I said, it’s pointless.’
‘Because you would’ve been done with me within a week?’ she ventured.
‘No. I would’ve kept you for much longer, anjo. Perhaps even for ever.’
He forced himself to step away. Once again she’d slid so effortlessly under his skin, opened him up to wishes and possibilities he’d forced himself never to entertain after what their respective fathers and his mother had done to him. She was making him believe in impossible dreams, feelings he had no business experiencing.
He strode quickly towards the pool. A cold dip would wash away the fiery need and alien emotions tearing his insides to shreds. He hoped.
He emerged twenty minutes later to find her polishing off the last of her scrambled eggs and coffee. Over the past fortnight he’d noticed that she ate with a gusto that triggered his own appetite. Or appetites.
As he poured his coffee and helped himself to fruit, she reached for the ever-present duffel bag and pulled out her sketchpad.
‘Have you thought of doing something with your talent?’ he asked.
A shadow passed over her face before she tried to smile through it, but he guessed the reason behind it. Her father. ‘I will once I resume my education. I put pursuing my degree on hiatus for a while.’
He didn’t need to ask why. ‘Until when?’
She shrugged and searched for a fresh page in her pad. ‘I haven’t decided yet.’
Theo tried not to let his anger show. They’d called a truce for twenty-four hours.
‘What will you study when you return?’
‘I love buildings and boats. I may go into architecture or boat design.’
He glanced from her face to the pad. ‘Boat design, huh?’
She nodded.
He picked up his coffee and regarded her over the rim. ‘Why don’t you design me one?’
‘You want me to design a boat for you?’
‘Yes. I’m sure your research showed you what sort of designs we specialise in. It has to be up to the Pantelides standard. But use your own template. Make it state-of-the-art, of course.’
‘Of course,’ she murmured but he could see the gleam of interest in her eyes as she stared down at her pad.
Her pencil flew across the paper as he devoured his breakfast. She didn’t look up as he rose and rounded the table to where she sat. He didn’t glance down at her drawing; he was too absorbed with the sheer joy on her face as she became immersed in her task.
Even when his finger drifted down her cheek to the corner of her mouth she barely glanced up at him. But her breath hitched and she jerked a tiny bit towards his touch before he withdrew his hand.
As he walked away, Theo marvelled at how light-hearted he felt.
CHAPTER NINE
THEY DROPPED ANCHOR about a mile away from Copacabana Beach and took a launch ashore.
Inez looked to where Theo stood, legs braced, at the wheel of the launch. The wind rushed through his dark hair, whipping it across his forehead. Stupid that she should be jealous of the wind but she clenched her fingers in her lap as they tingled with the need to touch him.
I would’ve kept you for much longer, anjo. Perhaps even for ever.
Try as she had for the last few hours, she couldn’t get his words out of her head. They struck her straight to the heart in unguarded moments, made her breath catch in ways that made her dizzy. Every time she pushed the feeling away. But, inevitably, it returned.
She was in serious trouble here…
A shout from nearby sunbathers drew her attention to the fact that they were not alone any more.